Surface-mount type switching power supply unit and mounting method for the same

ABSTRACT

A transformer of a switching power-supply circuit is placed and mounted nearly in the middle area of a circuit board. The transformer is of a low-profile type, and a broad and flat upper surface of the transformer functions as a suction surface for a suction nozzle. When a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is mounted in a mother board, firstly, the upper surface of the above transformer is held by the suction nozzle, the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is transferred to a target mounting area on the mother board by the suction nozzle, and the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is surface mounted in the mother board. Because it is not required to provide a nozzle suction surface for the suction nozzle&#39;s exclusive use, transfer molding is not needed, and accordingly a low-profile and low-cost surface-mount type switching power-supply unit can be facilitated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit provided with a switching power-supply circuit of anisolation type having a transformer and a mounting method for the same.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] A surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is designed inmodules in such a way that, for example, a switching power-supplycircuit made up of an AC-DC converter, a DC-DC converter, an inverter,etc., is constructed by forming a plurality of circuit components,wiring patterns, etc., on a circuit board. Such a switching power-supplyunit is surface mounted, for example, on a mother board. When the aboveswitching power-supply unit is surface mounted on the mother board, forexample, first of all, the above switching power-supply unit is held bya suction nozzle, the switching power-supply unit is transferred to themother board by the suction nozzle, and then the switching power-supplyunit is surface mounted on the mother board by reflowing welding, etc.

[0005] When the switching power-supply unit is transferred by thesuction nozzle, in order to prevent problems such as dropping theswitching power-supply unit from the suction nozzle, etc., a broad andflat surface for suction by the above suction nozzle is required on theswitching power-supply unit. In the prior art, for example, the whole ofa switching power-supply unit is covered by a case and transfer moldingtakes place as shown in FIG. 5. That is, the whole switchingpower-supply unit is transfer molded and a broad and flat surface forthe suction nozzle is secured in the upper portion of the switchingpower-supply unit.

[0006] However, when such a transfer molding takes place, because a casecovering all the components of a switching power-supply circuit on theupper side of a switching power-supply unit is provided with a spacingbetween the case and all the components, a problem of heightening theswitching power-supply unit arises, and accordingly, measures to producelow-profile products cannot be fully taken. Moreover, high costs for thetransfer molding are needed, and then a problem of increasing the costof the switching power-supply units also arises.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention tofacilitate a low-profile and low-cost surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit and provide a mounting method for the same.

[0008] In order to attain the above object, the following constructionis used in the present invention. According to a first aspect of thepresent invention, a surface-mount type switching power-supply unitcomprises a circuit board, and a switching power-supply circuitincluding a transformer is provided on the circuit board. Asubstantially flat nozzle suction surface to be held by a suction nozzlefor transferring the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit isprovided as an upper portion of the transformer mounted on the circuitboard.

[0009] In the present invention, the nozzle suction surface of thetransformer is nearly parallel to the board surface of the circuitboard.

[0010] In the present invention, terminals are formed in a transformerso as to protrude, a through-hole portion for placing the transformer isformed in a circuit board and connection pads are formed in theperiphery of the through-hole portion, the transformer is placed in thethrough-hole portion, the terminals are connected to the connectionpads, and the transformer is placed and mounted in the circuit board.

[0011] In the present invention, the transformer may comprise a coilpattern portion formed in a circuit board and core materials, core-pininsertion through-holes are formed in an area where the coil patternportion is formed in the circuit board, and the core materials aremounted in the coil pattern of the circuit board by the leg portions ofthe core materials inserted into the core-pin insertion through-holes.

[0012] In the present invention, the upper portion of the core materialsis made a flat nozzle suction surface.

[0013] In the present invention, a transformer is arranged at the centerof gravity of the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit.

[0014] In the present invention, components constituting the switchingpower-supply circuit are exposed without molding resin on the surface ofthe surface-mount type switching power-supply unit.

[0015] In a second aspect of the present invention, a mounting methodfor a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit in which the uppersurface of a transformer is made a flat nozzle suction surface,comprises the steps of applying suction to the flat upper surface of atransformer of the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit by asuction nozzle, transferring the surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit to a target mounting area of a mother board by thesuction nozzle, and then surface mounting the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit in the mother board.

[0016] According to the invention constructed as in the above, the upperportion of a transformer is flattened and the flat upper surface of thetransformer is made a suction surface for a suction nozzle. Because ofthis, when a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is surfacemounted on a mother board, first of all, the flat upper surface of thetransformer of a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is heldby the suction nozzle, and the surface-mount type switching power-supplyunit is transferred to a target mounting area of the mother board by thesuction nozzle. Then, the surface-mount type switching power-supply unitis surface mounted in the mother board.

[0017] In this way, because the upper surface of a transformer of asurface-mount type switching power-supply unit is constructed so as tofunction as a nozzle suction surface, it is not required to form anozzle suction surface by transfer molding the conventionalsurface-mount type switching power-supply units. Because of this, theproblems resulting from transfer molding, that is, the problems of beingtoo thick and high-cost, can be prevented. In this way, a low-profileand low-cost surface-mount type switching power-supply unit can befacilitated.

[0018] Other features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description of the invention whichrefers to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0019]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit of a first embodiment according to thepresent invention;

[0020]FIGS. 2A and 2B are illustrations showing examples of ways formaking the upper portion of a transformer a flat surface;

[0021]FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are schematic illustrations showing oneexample of a mounting process for a surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit;

[0022]FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit of a second embodiment; and

[0023]FIG. 5 is an illustration of one example of a prior art transfermolded surface-mount type switching power-supply unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0024] Hereinafter, the embodiments according to the present inventionare described with reference to the drawings.

[0025]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit of a first embodiment according to thepresent invention. In the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit1 of a first embodiment, a switching power-supply circuit 3 of anisolation type is formed on a circuit board 2. The above switchingpower-supply circuit 3 is composed of a plurality of circuit componentsincluding a transformer 4 and wiring patterns (not illustrated) formedon the circuit board 2. In this first embodiment, the switchingpower-supply circuit 3 has an appropriate circuit constructioncorresponding to the specifications for AC-DC converters, DC-DCconverters, inverters, etc., and its circuit construction may be of anytype if the switching power-supply circuit 3 is of an isolation typehaving a transformer, and the description is omitted here.

[0026] Moreover, among the above-mentioned circuit components 5, exceptthe transformer 4, for example, IC chips, capacitor elements, switchingelements and rectifier elements as semiconductor elements, etc., areincluded. Here, reference numeral 8 in FIG. 1 represents connection pinsfor connecting the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 to amother board.

[0027] The characteristic of the first embodiment is that a particularconstruction is provided so that a thin (low-profile) and low-costsurface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 can be facilitated.

[0028] Then, the inventor noticed that if the upper surface of acomponent constituting the switching power-supply circuit 3 functions asa suction surface for a transferring suction nozzle, it is not requiredto transfer mold the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1,and accordingly a greatly thinner surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit 1 can be facilitated.

[0029] The inventor has realized that the transformer 4 can be used as acomponent for suction by the nozzle. Amongst a plurality of circuitcomponents 5 constituting the switching power-supply circuit 3, thetransformer 4 is the largest one. When the thickness of the transformer4 is reduced, it is required to increase the area of the upper surfaceof the transformer 4 in order to maintain the required characteristics,and the upper surface 4 a of the above-mentioned transformer 4 meetingthe requirement for thinner products has as large an area as fullyfunctions as the suction surface of a transferring suction nozzle.

[0030] In the first embodiment, as described above, because the uppersurface 4 a of the transformer 4 is used as a nozzle suction surface, itis not needed to mold a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1in order to form a suction nozzle surface as described in theconventional example. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the abovesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 has a plurality ofcircuit components 5 including a transformer 4 constituting the aboveswitching power-supply circuit 3 exposed as shown in FIG. 1.

[0031] In the first embodiment, the above transformer 4 is composed of acoil wound on a ribbon, and, as shown in FIG. 1, the transformer is thinand becomes flat when it is made thinner. In the transformer 4, as shownin FIG. 1, a plurality of terminals is formed so as to protrude.Furthermore, in the circuit board 2, a through-hole 7 is formed nearlyin the middle, and pads (connection pads) 9 for connecting the aboveterminals 6 are formed in the periphery of the opening of thethrough-hole 7. The above transformer 4 is placed in the abovethrough-hole 7, and each of the above terminals 6 is connected to thecorresponding pad 9, respectively. That is, the above transformer 4 isplaced in the circuit board 2 this way and mounted. Because of this, thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 is made much thinner.

[0032] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the above transformer 4 isarranged at the approximate center of gravity of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit 1. That is, the positional arrangement of aplurality of circuit components 5 excluding the transformer 4 isdesigned so that the location of the transformer 4 is nearly or at thecenter of gravity of the switching power-supply unit 1.

[0033] In the first embodiment, as described before, the upper surface 4a of the above transformer 4 functions as a nozzle suction surface andis nearly parallel to the surface of the circuit board 2. The uppersurface 4 a of the transformer 4 has as large an area as functions as anozzle suction surface to be held by a suction nozzle for transferring asurface-mount type switching power-supply unit. That is, the uppersurface 4 a of the transformer 4 which functions as a nozzle suctionsurface has as large an area as covers the whole opening area of the tipof the above suction nozzle without leaving any exposed suction nozzletip area.

[0034] Furthermore, the upper surface 4 a of the transformer 4 is formedso as not to leave any uneven surface area, and is formed so as to havea flat surface whereby the entire suction area of the suction nozzle canbe applied to the transformer 4 held by the suction nozzle and therebyprevent the transformer 4 from dropping.

[0035] There are various ways for making the upper surface 4 a of thetransformer 4 smooth. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Utility ModelApplication publication No. 4-125429, a surface-mount transformer as inFIG. 2A is shown. According to the present invention, the upper surfaceof the surface-mount transformer can be made a flat surface by putting acover 12 having a flat surface on the top of the main body 11 of thetransformer, as shown. Moreover, bobbins 13, a coil 14, a core, andterminals are shown in FIG. 2A.

[0036] Furthermore, in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Applicationpublication No. 5-21416, a transformer like that of FIG. 2B is shown.According to the present invention, the upper surface of such asurface-mount transformer 18 as shown in FIG. 2B can be made a flatsurface by putting a cover 19 thereon having a flat surface on thesurface-mount transformer 18 in the same way as described above.

[0037] In this way, various ways for flattening the upper surface of atransformer are proposed, and here in the present invention the uppersurface of a transformer may be flattened by any of these methods ordevices and it is not limited to any of these flattening methods ordevices.

[0038] In the first embodiment, as described above, a transformer 4 inwhich a measure to flatten the upper surface was taken is used.

[0039] The surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 shown in thefirst embodiment is constructed as described above. When such asurface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 is mounted on a motherboard, for example, first of all, suction is applied to the uppersurface 4 a of the transformer 4 of the surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit 1 accommodated in a component-accommodating tray 21,etc., by a suction nozzle 20 as shown in FIG. 3A. Then, as shown in FIG.3B, the above surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 istransferred to a target mounting area Z of a mother board 22 shown by adotted line in FIG. 3B by the suction nozzle 20. In the firstembodiment, as described above, the transformer 4 is arranged in themiddle area of the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1,that is, nearly at the center of gravity of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit 1, and because suction is applied to theupper surface 4 a of the transformer 4 by the suction nozzle, thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 can be transferredunder conditions that its weight is well balanced and without allowingexcessive play.

[0040] Then, the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 islocated at a mounting location set in the mother board 22 and thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 is surface mounted byreflowing soldering, etc., as shown in FIG. 3C.

[0041] According to the first embodiment, because the upper surface 4 aof the transformer 4 is constructed so as to function as a nozzlesuction surface, it is not required to form a flat surface for thesuction nozzle's exclusive use, and accordingly it is not needed totransfer mold the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1, thatis, molding resin on the surface of the surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit 1 is not necessary. Because of this, a thin(low-profile) surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 can beeasily facilitated.

[0042] Furthermore, as described above, transfer molding is not requiredand the cost of transfer molding can be eliminated, and, as a result, aninexpensive surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 can beprovided.

[0043] Moreover, in the first embodiment, because the upper-surface 4 aof the transformer 4 is flattened, the upper surface of the abovetransformer 4 can be securely held by the suction nozzle. In addition,in the first embodiment, because the transformer is arranged in themiddle area of the circuit board 2 (location of the center of gravity),when the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 is transferredby suction applied to the upper surface 4 a of the transformer 4 by thesuction nozzle, the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 canbe transferred under conditions that its weight is well balanced.Because of this, problems such as dropping, etc., can be prevented andthe surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 can be transferredto the mother board reliably.

[0044] Hereinafter, a second embodiment is described. In this secondembodiment, a transformer using coil windings is not mounted, but atransformer in a particular shape as shown in FIG. 4 is mounted. Theconstruction excluding that is nearly the same as the first embodiment,and in the second embodiment the same portions as in the firstembodiment are provided the same reference numerals and it isunnecessary to provide a description of common portions twice.

[0045] In the second embodiment, the transformer 4 comprises a coilpattern portion 24 formed in a circuit board 2 and a pair of corematerials 25. The circuit board 2 is a laminated body in which aplurality of boards are laminated, and, for example, the above coilpattern portion 24 comprising coil patterns 26 which are formed on eachof the plurality of boards constituting the above circuit board 2. Thatis, coil patterns which function as a primary coil and coil patternswhich functions as a secondary coil are formed on the boardsconstituting the above circuit board 2, and the above coil patternportion 24 comprises the pluralities of coil patterns arranged so thatthe center of each of the coil patterns comes to a common axis in thelamination direction.

[0046] As is shown in FIG. 4, core-pin insertion through-holes 27 (27 a,27 b, and 27 c) are formed in an area where the above coil patternportion 24 is formed in the circuit board 2. The core pins (legportions) of the above core materials 25 are inserted into the abovecore-pin insertion through-holes 27, the pair of core materials 25 arecombined, and they are mounted in the coil pattern portion 24. As isshown in FIG. 4, the pair of core materials 25 are attached to the abovecoil pattern portion 24 in such a way that part of the above coilpattern portion 24 is sandwiched between both the surface and back sidesof the circuit board 2.

[0047] In the second embodiment, the above pair of core materials 25 arecombined by being set in a core assembly member 28. The upper surface ofthe core assembly member 28 is made the upper surface 4 a of thetransformer 4, and the upper surface of the core assembly member 28 isnearly parallel to the board surface of the circuit board 2 and is aflat surface. Because the surface of the core materials 25 is rough, thesurface of the core materials 25 is difficult to function as a nozzlesuction surface as it is, but by covering the upper surface of the abovecore materials 25 by the core assembly member 28 and by the coreassembly member 28 constituting the upper surface of the transformer asmooth nozzle suction surface can be obtained, and accordingly the upperportion of the core materials 25 can be made to function as a nozzlesuction surface.

[0048] According to the second embodiment, in the same way as the firstembodiment, because the upper surface 4 a of the transformer 4 isconstructed so as to function as a suction surface of the suctionnozzle, it is not required to transfer mold the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit 1 differently from the conventional ones,and accordingly a low-profile and low-cost surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit 1 can be easily achieved to the degree where transfermolding is not required.

[0049] Furthermore, because the upper surface 4 a of the transformer 4is flattened, the upper surface 4 a of the transformer 4 can be securelyheld by the suction nozzle. In addition, because the transformer 4 ispreferably arranged substantially in the middle area (location of thecenter of gravity) of the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit1, the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 can betransferred by the suction nozzle under conditions that its weight iswell balanced, and problems of dropping during its transfer, etc., canbe prevented.

[0050] Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the aboveembodiments, and various embodiments can be adopted. For example, ineach of the above embodiments, the upper surface 4 a of the transformer4 was made a flat surface by making use of the upper flat surface of thecovers 12 and 19 and the core assembly member 28, but, for example, bywinding a tape for fixing the core on the transformer 4, the uppersurface of the transformer 4 may be made flat.

[0051] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit 1 was surface mounted by makingconnection pins 8 in contact with a mother board 22, but for example, ina surface-mount type switching power-supply unit in which parts andwinding patterns are not formed on the back side of the circuit board 2,the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 may be surfacemounted on the mother board 22 by directly connecting the back side ofthe circuit board 2 to the mother board 22 by soldering, etc. In thisway, the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit 1 can be surfacemounted on the mother board 22 in various ways, and here any of thesemay be used and the method of surface mounting is not particularlylimited.

[0052] Moreover, in the above second embodiment, a pair of corematerials were assembled by using a core assembly member 28, but, forexample, a pair of core materials 25 may be combined by making use ofadhesive, etc., without using the core assembly member 28. In this way,when the core assembly member is not utilized, for example, a tape isprovided on the upper surface of the core materials 25 and the uppersurface 4 a of the transformer 4 may be formed as a flat nozzle surfaceby the tape.

[0053] According to a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit ofthe present invention, because the upper portion of a transformer ismade a flat nozzle suction surface, it is not required to mold resin onthe surface of a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit ortransfer mold a surface-mount type switching power-supply unit in orderto form a nozzle suction surface as in conventional ones. That is, whilecomponents constituting a switching power-supply circuit are exposed, itbecomes possible to transfer the surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit by the suction nozzle.

[0054] In that way, because a surface-mount type switching power-supplyunit is not transfer molded, a low-profile surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit can be achieved. In addition, as described above,because the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is nottransfer molded, the cost can be reduced and an inexpensivesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit can be provided.

[0055] In the case where the nozzle suction surface of a transformer isparallel to the board surface of a circuit board, when the nozzlesuction surface of the above transformer is held by a suction nozzle andthe surface-mount type switching power-supply unit is transferred, theabove surface-mount type switching power-supply unit can be transferredto a fixed mounting area under conditions that the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit is reliably held by the suction nozzle.

[0056] In the construction where a transformer is placed and mounted ina circuit board, the height of the transformer can be controlled, andaccordingly a low-profile surface-mount type switching power-supply unitcan be achieved.

[0057] In the construction where a transformer is composed of a coilpattern portion formed in a circuit board and core materials and theupper portion of the core materials of the transformer is made a flatnozzle suction surface, the transformer is very thin and because thetransformer is an inexpensive component due to its simplifiedmanufacturing processes, a low-profile and low-cost surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit can be achieved to a much more advancedlevel.

[0058] In the construction where a transformer is arranged at theapproximate center of gravity of a surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit, when the switching power-supply unit is transferredby a suction nozzle, the surface-mount type switching power-supply unitcan be transferred under conditions that its weight is well balanced andwithout excessive play. Because of this, the problem of dropping of thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit while it is beingtransferred, etc., can be controlled.

[0059] Moreover, in the invention of a mounting method where the flatsurface of the transformer is held by a suction nozzle, a surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit is transferred to its target mountingarea of a mother board by the suction nozzle, and the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit is surface mounted on the mother board, asdescribed above, because a surface-mount type switching power-supplyunit is transferred by a suction nozzle holding the upper surface of thetransformer of the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit, it isnot required to form a nozzle suction surface for the suction nozzle'sexclusive use, and, as described above, transfer molding is not neededdifferently from the conventional ones, and accordingly it is easy tofacilitate a low-profile and low-cost surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit.

[0060] While the invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form anddetails can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

[0061] Although the present invention has been described in relation toparticular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modificationsand other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art.Therefore, the present invention should be limited not by the specificdisclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surface-mount type switching power-supply unitcomprising: a circuit board; and a switching power-supply circuitincluding a transformer provided on the circuit board, wherein asubstantially flat nozzle suction surface to be held by a suction nozzlefor transferring the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit isprovided as an upper portion of the transformer mounted on the circuitboard.
 2. The surface-mount type switching power-supply unit as claimedin claim 1, wherein the nozzle suction surface of the transformer isnearly parallel to a board surface of the circuit board.
 3. Thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit as claimed in claim 1,wherein protruding terminals are formed in the transformer, athrough-hole portion for placing the transformer is provided in thecircuit board and connection pads are formed at a periphery of thethrough-hole portion, the transformer is placed in the through-holeportion, the terminals are connected to the connection pads, and thetransformer is thereby mounted to the circuit board.
 4. Thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit as claimed in claim 2,wherein protruding terminals are formed in the transformer, athrough-hole portion for placing the transformer is provided in thecircuit board and connection pads are formed at a periphery of thethrough-hole portion, the transformer is placed in the through-holeportion, the terminals are connected to the connection pads, and thetransformer is thereby mounted to the circuit board.
 5. Thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit as claimed in claim 1,wherein the transformer comprises a coil pattern portion formed in or onthe circuit board and core materials, core-pin insertion through-holesare formed in an area where the coil pattern portion is formed in or onthe circuit board, and the core materials are mounted adjacent the coilpattern of the circuit board by leg portions of the core materialsinserted into the core-pin insertion through-holes.
 6. The surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein thetransformer comprises a coil pattern portion formed in or on the circuitboard and core materials, core-pin insertion through-holes are formed inan area where the coil pattern portion is formed in or on the circuitboard, and the core materials are mounted adjacent the coil pattern ofthe circuit board by leg portions of the core materials inserted intothe core-pin insertion through-holes.
 7. The surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the upperportion of the core materials comprises the flat nozzle suction surface.8. The surface-mount type switching power-supply unit as claimed inclaim 6, wherein the upper portion of the core materials comprises theflat nozzle suction surface.
 9. The surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transformer isarranged at the approximate center of gravity of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit.
 10. The surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transformer isarranged at the approximate center of gravity of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit.
 11. The surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transformer isarranged at the approximate center of gravity of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit.
 12. The surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transformer isarranged at the approximate center of gravity of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit.
 13. The surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the transformer isarranged at the approximate center of gravity of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit.
 14. The surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein components comprisingthe switching power-supply circuit board are exposed without moldingresin on a surface of the surface-mount type switching power-supplyunit.
 15. The surface-mount type switching power-supply unit as claimedin claim 2, wherein components comprising the switching power-supplycircuit board are exposed without molding resin on a surface of thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit.
 16. The surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit as claimed in claim 3, whereincomponents comprising the switching power-supply circuit board areexposed without molding resin on a surface of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit.
 17. The surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein components comprisingthe switching power-supply circuit board are exposed without moldingresin on a surface of the surface-mount type switching power-supplyunit.
 18. The surface-mount type switching power-supply unit as claimedin claim 7, wherein components comprising the switching power-supplycircuit board are exposed without molding resin on a surface of thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit.
 19. The surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit as claimed in claim 9, whereincomponents comprising the switching power-supply circuit board areexposed without molding resin on a surface of the surface-mount typeswitching power-supply unit.
 20. A mounting method for a surface-mounttype switching power-supply unit in which an upper surface of atransformer comprises a substantially flat nozzle suction surface,comprising the steps of: applying suction to the upper surface of thetransformer of the surface-mount type switching power-supply unit with asuction nozzle; transferring the surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit to a target mounting area of a mother board by thesuction nozzle; and surface mounting the surface-mount type switchingpower-supply unit to the mother board.
 21. The method of claim 20,further comprising mounting the transformer at a location on a circuitboard of the surface-mount type switching power supply unit so that thetransformer is at approximately the center of gravity of thesurface-mount type switching power-supply unit.